Patients confined to a bed for a long period of time frequently develop pressure sores, which are medically known as decubitus ulcers and which are commonly referred to as bedsores. These pressure sores are a debilitating and painful condition, and in extreme cases can lead to death.
One known approach for prevention and treatment involves a complex water or air flotation mattress which avoids localized pressure points. While effective, these systems are relatively complex and susceptible to failure, and are relatively expensive, and are thus not suitable for all applications.
Attempts to provide cheaper and more reliable alternatives have typically involved the use of a pad or a sheet of foam. For example, a simple foam pad has been used, with or without a convoluted upper surface. Other types of mattresses have used a foam layer on top, a layer of gel between two layers of foam, two layers of foam in which the upper layer is softer, or a foam layer with removable sections. Another approach provides a foam pad with an opening into which a gel pad is inserted. All these approaches have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, but they have not been satisfactory in all respects. For example, one aspect of foam is that, with use over time, it will tend to become permanently compressed and take a set at certain localized areas, thereby rendering it less effective. At this point, it is usually necessary to dispose of the entire mattress and replace it with a new mattress. Consequently, the useful lifetimes of these known mattresses has not been particularly long. Also, removable parts such as foam sections or gel pads can be lost or misplaced, which can render the associated mattress useless.
A further consideration is that one of the most difficult areas for reducing pressure is in the region of a patient's heels, and the majority of the existing foam-type mattresses are not fully satisfactory in preventing and treating pressure sores on a patient's heels.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a mattress intended to prevent and/or treat pressure sores with an efficiency comparable to relatively complex air and water floatation systems, but which is significantly cheaper than the flotation systems.
A further object is to provide such a mattress in which a majority of the components of the mattress have a relatively long useful lifetime.
A further object is to provide such a mattress which is highly effective with respect to pressure sores in the region of the heels of a patient.